What Are Rooms Like at the Swanky Thompson Hollywood?

In a nutshell: While I ended up getting sick just before I arrived at the hotel, I did manage to eke out some enjoyment during my stay at the Thompson Hollywood. The hotel offers stylish, modern rooms, albeit with a small bathroom arrangement. Breakfast was a minimal affair, but the coffee was excellent, and the morning views lovely from the hotel’s rooftop restaurant. If only I’d had time to enjoy the pool. 

Free Night Certificate: Use It or Lose It

I guess I can now say I’ve been to Hollywood. I’ve had little desire to visit, but when I had an expiring Category 1-7 free night certificate, I decided I’d go a bit out of my way to stay at the Thompson Hollywood. I had an overnight planned in Burbank. The ride to Hollywood and back ended up requiring a hair under $50 in Uber costs, so I’d guess I paid an extra $30 or so beyond what transportation would have otherwise run me.

This was, however, the literal last day I could use the free night certificate. There are a couple high end Hyatt properties in Hollywood, and the Thompson Hollywood appealed to me the most.

I was feeling ill on the late descent into Burbank, so I didn’t take a look around the hotel. It was one of those days you just toss yourself in bed and hope to fall instantly asleep.

Luckily, I was in better shape in the morning and got to enjoy the hotel a bit before heading out. So, what are rooms like at the Thompson Hollywood?

Balcony King City View Room

One always hopes for an upgrade at luxury hotels. While the Thompson Hollywood didn’t deliver a suite, I was kindly upgraded to a balcony king room. The small size of the room surprised me. The Thompson Hollywood standard rooms fall short of 300 square feet. It wasn’t cramped, but I would generally expect a bit more space at a luxury property.

They are nicely appointed, which makes up for the lack of space. Each offers a comfortable king bed, stylish chair, and a cool retro radio on the nightstand. The closet is inside a case along with the minibar, which is an interesting design choice. Art asymmetry above the bed falls into that interesting category as well.

The Thompson Hollywood bathroom is one of the areas where the hotel might fall short for some people. It’s quite compact for a luxury property. A similar design seemed fine for a property like the Hyatt Centric Beale Street Memphis, but it doesn’t fit the Thompson Hollywood in my opinion.

The sink is flanked by the toilet room on one side and the shower on the other. There isn’t a door between the sink and the rest of the room. The room also lacks a tub, but at least it has an excellent shower. It, plus an extended time on the balcony enjoying the fresh air, returned me to life in the morning.

It’s rare to have a domestic hotel go out of their way to recognize loyalty, so the Thompson Hollywood goes in a rare category. The handwritten welcome note and chocolates were a very kind gesture.

The Thompson Hollywood certainly offers a well-stocked minibar. There’s also a bottle of wine and glasses, besides the complimentary water. Don’t pull up the prices, though. I’m always curious how much hotels actually make from their minibars.

Stepping out into the refreshingly cool air did wonders for me in the morning. It’d been a rough night, but I’d finally caught some decent sleep. I was glad to have the balcony and not one of the interior rooms with only a window into the central atrium. Definitely ask for a balcony room at the Thompson Hollywood.

Thompson Hollywood: Views Meet Style

Given how ill I felt during the evening, I didn’t even notice the lobby bar. The stylish space was a welcome surprise the following morning. From the ground floor to the rooftop, the Thompson Hollywood invites you to stay and enjoy the evening.

The rooftop is where you’ll find Bar Lis. It was closed in the morning, but I was able to take a peek. Personally, I like the style of the lobby bar more.

But I’d miss out on the stunning views the rooftop offers. And that would be tragic. The Thompson Hollywood rooftop is probably the best feature of the hotel, taken in its entirety. Besides Bar Lis, you have the Terrace restaurant and the hotel pool. I’ve been to few pools with better city views. If only my flight was a couple hours later, I would have enjoyed a swim.

From the iconic Hollywood sign to downtown Los Angeles, you have your pick of views from the Thompson Hollywood. I loved the morning lighting over DTLA.

Breakfast on The Terrace

The Thompson Hollywood offers breakfast at The Terrace, the rooftop restaurant. The menu is limited, and the options are light. A light breakfast was just fine for this particular stay. All I ordered was a cup of coffee and scrambled egg toast. Had I been feeling 100%, I would have been more critical of the limited menu.

I enjoyed another 15 minutes atop the roof, enjoying the views. The morning temperature was perfect.

Thompson Hollywood Review: Final Thoughts

I don’t think a stay at the Thompson Hollywood would have been in the cards, except for the expiring certificate that lined up with this particular trip. I wouldn’t say I am ecstatic that I went out of my way to stay here, but neither did it disappoint. The hotel has a great modern style, a lovely rooftop restaurant and pool, and nice (but small) rooms. I might consider a stay here again if I’m ever in Hollywood to actually visit Hollywood. But that is unlikely. All things considered, it seems a pretty cool hotel, and free is for me.